From Research to Recess: The Science Behind Great Teaching
Where Does Writing Fit Into the Science of Reading?
Writing deserves a much bigger role in the science ofreading conversation. Reading and writing are deeply connected, which means writing instruction shouldn’t be separated from phonics, decoding, and other earlyliteracy skills. For K–2 teachers, connecting encoding and decoding gives students more opportunities to strengthen sound-symbol relationships while showing teachers what they truly understand. From kindergarten writing throughfirst and second grade, drawing, labeling, spelling, sentence dictation, and written responses to decodable texts can all become meaningful parts of daily literacy instruction. Explore practical ways to connect reading and writing, strengthen phonics instruction, and use student writing and spelling assessment to guide your next instructional steps. Episode Highlight Writing may be the “forgotten twin” of reading, but itbelongs alongside reading throughout science of reading instruction. When students practice decoding words and then encoding words using the phonics patterns they’re learning, they strengthen the connection between sounds andprint. Just as importantly, their writing gives teachers valuable information for planning whole-group and small-group literacy instruction. 5 Show Highlights • Start kindergarten writing before every letter and sound is mastered. Young children don’t need to wait until they can write conventional sentences. Pre-writingexperiences such as drawing, labeling, scribbling, letter attempts, and embedded spelling help students learn to communicate meaning. • Teach encoding and decoding side by side during phonics instruction. If students are learning to decode CVC words or another phonics pattern, give them opportunities to encode words using those same sound-symbol relationships. • Use sentence dictation to connect phonics, spelling, handwriting, and writing. Dictation can move from letters and sounds to words and eventually complete sentences. This creates opportunities for explicit writing instruction whilestudents practice spelling, letter formation, and sentence structure. Rather than treating these as isolated skills, teachers can connect them within daily literacy instruction. • Use decodable texts as writing prompts. After students read a decodable text, ask them to write about something that happened in the text. A simple written response connects reading comprehension, decoding, and encoding while giving students familiar language and content to draw from. • Turn spelling assessment into information for your next instructional lesson. A traditional weekly spelling test may show whether students can spell this week’s words, but it doesn’t necessarily show whether a phonics pattern has become automatic. Because spelling patterns can take four to six weeks to internalize, spelling checks can revisit previously taught skills and help teachers determine what students need next. Nonsense words can also reveal whether students are transferring their phonics knowledge to unfamiliar words instead of relying on visual memory. RESEARCH ARTICLE: How Does Writing Fit Into the ‘Science of Reading’? WHERE YOU CAN FIND US: Hilary Statum: https://pencilstopigtails.com/ Deedee Wills: https://mrswillskindergarten.com/
